Designing and Implementing a STEM Teacher Preparation Program to Address the National Need for Highly Qualified High School Physics Teachers

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This Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Phase I program for STEM teachers of physics will develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to increase the number of highly qualified physics teachers by extending SUNY Geneseo's commitment to preparing physics and other STEM teachers and supporting them as they enter the teaching profession. There is a documented national shortage of high school physics teachers who can prepare today's students for opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and this project will provide a model for ways to address this national need in physics. This Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship project includes several components to support and encourage physics and STEM majors interested in teaching physics in underserved high schools after earning their New York State teaching certification. These components include (1) early teaching experiences for physics and STEM undergraduates, such as presenting physics demonstrations in local classrooms; (2) a Physics Teacher Summer Field School and Summer Internships at local science camps to provide first- and second-year undergraduates with valuable teaching experience in STEM fields; (3) mentoring by successful local physics teachers through the NYS Master Teacher Program and Geneseo's physics Teacher-in-Residence; (4) Noyce Scholarships to support 35 upper-level undergraduates committed to teaching STEM in high-need school districts, (5) travel to national and regional meetings of professional societies to learn about best practices in science teaching, and (6) induction and mentoring for teachers in the early years of their teaching careers. This Noyce project has four specific objectives, with evaluation metrics tailored to each: increasing the number of physics graduates certified to teach high school physics; improving confidence and physics teaching efficacy of non-physics, STEM majors pursuing secondary certification; increasing the diversity of certified physics teachers drawn from under-represented groups; and providing meaningful early teaching experiences to assist with recruitment and retention of physics teacher candidates and pre-service STEM teachers completing at least ten "Build-It, Teach-It, Leave-It" demonstrations.